Apparatus for the conveyance of grain to or from ships.



No. 787,459. I PATENTED APR. 18, 1905. W. MEYER.

APPARATUS FOR THE GONVEYANGE 0P GRAIN TO OR PROM SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATBNTED APR.18, 1905.

W. MEYER. I APPARATUS FOR THE GONVEYANGB 0F GRAIN TO OR FROM SHIPS.

AAPPLIGATION FILED FEB. 4, 1908.

4 SHEBTW-SHEHT 2.

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Q ViMo/JAw 00W 3 PATENTED' APR. 18, 105.

W. MEYER. APPARATUS FOR THE GONVEYANO'E 0F GRAIN TO OR FROM SHIPS.

APPLICATION P ILED FEB. 4, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A Q WN PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

W. MEYER. V APPARATUS FOR THE GONVEYANOE 0P GRAIN TO OR FROM SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

z znesses UNITED STATES Patented April 18, 1905.

PATENT 'OFFIcE \VILLY MEYER, OF HAMELN, GERMANY.

OR FROM SHIPS- SPECIFICAT ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,459, dated April 18, 1905. Application filed February 4. 1903. Serial No. 141,810.

To (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLY MEYER, a subject of the King of Prussia, Emperor of Germany, residing at Hameln-on-the-VVeser, Wesermiihle, in the Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented new Improvements in and Pertaining to Apparatus for the Conveyance of Grain to or from Ships, of which the following is a full and exact description.

This invention relates to apparatus for the conveyance of grain and like material (hereinafter referred to as grain) to or from ships. either in a loose condition or in quantities.of predetermined weight contained in sacks or the like, and for simultaneously clenasing the grain and bruising it or the refuse. The grain is continuously and rapidly conveyed from its starting-point to its point of delivery, and during its passage between these points dust, blight, and other impurities are eliminated, and the grain is automatically stored away in sacks, the refuse having been previously bruised. Hot and moist grain are respectively cooled and dried by a continuous current of air and freed from fungus, beetles,and other impurities, whereby the grain is rendered more healthy, durable, and suitable for shipment and its value is enhanced. The bruising of the refuse is of great value, inasmuch as this becomes immediately available as fodder.

1n opposition to the hitherto-known pneumatic elevators the raising-gears of which are arranged within a tower on board a ship the new pneumatic elevator is disposed with all its mechanisms and storage-rooms within the hull and several decks or a superstructure of a ship. The receiver is disposed immediately above the deck, and the grain need not be raised higher than the inlet of this receiver.

. The accompanying drawings represent, in Figures 1 to 7,the pneumatic elevator in a mode of execution. The various machines and apparatuses are so disposed that the grain can be circulated uninterruptedly through them without stopping, so that the grain will be transferred in a very short time from the starting-point to the place of destination. Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the elevating-ship provided with the cleaning arrangement, the weighing-machine, and the cooling, drying, and separating apparatuses. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the line A A in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the line B B in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section through the line C G in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the drier, partly broken away. Fig. 6 is a detail of part of the drier; and Fig. 7is a detail plan view of a series of driers, showing the graindistributing device.

The grain or corn to be transferred is in a known manner raised to a receiver 6 through a suction-piping a. As is shown at Fig. 1, the discharged grain passes from the receiverb and an air-excluding wheel 0 through a controlling Weighing-hopper (Z and then through the automatic weighing-machine 0. After its passage through the automatic weighing devices the grain is fed into a pipe f and raised by the elevator g, (or by an air-forcing de vice.) From the elevator g the grain is delivered by a pipe h to separators c', where it is sorted according to the size and weight of grain. In these separators the sorting is effected by a current of air, which will take the lighter parts of grain along, while the heavier parts will descend by gravity and settle on the bottom. It is then passed, by means of a feeding-screw 7: and pipes Z, into sifters m, whereby the blight and other impurities and vetches, darnel, and cockle are eliminated. Different feeding-screws a 0 convey the grain from the sifters. m to an elevator p, by which it is raised and delivered into the drying apparatuses q through the distributing-tubes p. These apparatuses essentially consist of rectangular vertical double tubes made of perforated sheet metal, Figs. 5 and 6. The grain dribbles through the space between the two concentric tubes, while hotdry air for drying the grain is passed through the internal tube. This air, being introduced by pipes r, enters through the perforations of the internal tube 95 and passes through the falling grain, the hot dry air taking up the moisture of the grain, and again escapes through the perforations of the external tube. The grain having been subjected during its passage from above to the I bottom to the action of the hot air is now conveyed in its dried condition, by means of transport-screws s and 25, to the elevator it, by which (or with the aid of compressed air) it is conveyed to the cooling apparatuses 1;. These apparatuses 0 are furnished with cold air and constructed in the same manner as the drying apparatuses After this operation the grain falls into the weighing devices to and is now fed into a further elevator m by pipes y. From this elevator the grain may be conveyed in loose condition into ships, railway-cars, or, especially while replacing an unloaded for a' loaded vessel, in store-receptacles in the elevator-ship itself. If desired, the grain may also be automatically put into sacks, after having been weighed, at the outlet of the elevator {I}.

The purpose of the whole construction of the apparatus is independence of local circumstancessuch as shore, quay, Warehouse, &c.so that the apparatus will prove fit for service on any place in the harbor, on the roads, in a river, or on any place suitable for the transfer or charging on the way to the place of destination.

While on the one side of the ship the apparatus is in working order at the same time other goods may be put on board the same ship or unloaded from it. In case for the moment there should be no room for a load or if it is desired to temporarily store up goods the holds of the elevating-ship can be utilized for this purpose without incurring any extra expenses. Thus every interruption or loss of time in connection with the transfer of grains as at present conducted will be avoided.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with a floating pneumatic grain-elevator of several elevating devices and weighing-hoppers, separators, sifters whereby the grain is freed from dust and impurities, a drying and a cooling apparatus and conveying devices to feed the grain into the difl erent apparatuses, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a floating pneumatic grain-elevator of automatic weighing devices below the receiver, an elevator for the separators and sifters, separators and sifters for cleaning, a transport-screw and elevator for the drying apparatus, a drying apparatus, feeding-screws and elevator for the cooling apparatus a cooling apparatus and means for re-elevating and distributing of the grain.

8. The combination with a floating pneumatic grain-elevator of Weighing-hoppers, separators, sifters, drying and cooling devices with means for elevating and transporting of the grain and store-receptacles in the elevator vessel itself.

i. In the combination with a floating pneumatic grain-elevator of weighing-hoppers, separators, sifters, drying and cooling devices, consisting of two concentric perforated tubes, between which the grain passes and means for transporting and elevating.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VVILLY MEYER. l/Vitnesses:

EuIL WIEGMANN, LEONORE RAsoH. 

